Experts call for devolution of power to local bodies
A Constitutional amendment was necessary to define key features of an effective local government system, experts said on Tuesday.
Participants at a Consultation Forum on Effective Local Governments believed that legislation was needed to amend the Constitution so as to devolve political, administrative and financial responsibilities to local bodies.
The forum was organised by Pakistan Institute of Legislative, Development and Transparency (PILDAT) in collaboration with the United Nations Development programme (UNDP).
PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob moderated the forum where, Joint Provincial Election Commissioner Ali Asghar Sial, UNDP-Pakistan Assistant Resident Representative Kaiser Ishaque, SELP UNDP Chief Technical Adviser Ali Al-Bayati, and PILDAT Joint Director Aasiya Riaz expressed their views.
A representative of the Sindh Local Government Department joined the consultation as an observer.
Mehboob said the system of democratic governance is incomplete without effective devolution of financial and administrative powers to the local tier. PILDAT has been advocating for reforms for effective devolution of powers to local governments.
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Aasiya Riaz presented a rationale on the need for effective local government system in Pakistan as well as a comparative analysis of the current system of local governments in place across four provinces of Pakistan.
Sial said ECP is prepared to hold local government elections as per their constitutional responsibility. He shared that the delimitation process in Sindh is nearing completion and will be finalised by March 24. The final schedule of Local Government elections in Sindh will be announced soon after by the ECP in consultation with the Sindh government.
Former Sindh governor Lt Gen (Retd) Moinuddin Haider said that it is the political parties that have failed to institute a system of effective local governments despite constitutional obligations. He believed that Article 6 of the Constitution should be applicable to successive provincial governments for violating Constitution on Local Government system.
The Consultation Forum was joined by senior journalists Ghazi Salahuddin and Mazhar Abbas, Representatives from political parties included Shiraz Ali, Provincial Secretary General Sindh, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mohammad Hussain, MPA MQM-P, Rehan Hashmi, former MNA MQM-P, Ms. Sabeen Ghouri, former MPA MQM-P, Junaid Yousafzai, MQM-P, Syed Mustafa Kamal, Chairman Pak Sarmzameen Party (PSP), Dr. Arshad Vohra, Vice Chairman PSP, Dr. Fauzia Hameed, former MNA PSP, Maulana Ihsanullah Takarwi, former MPA Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Pakistan (JUIP) and Mahboob Khan, JUI-P. Representatives from Academia, Media and Civil society also joined the forum.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2022.